Food

I love this salad that my brother made the other week, so I made him put it down in writing. It has such nice texture–and is great served with something hearty like sausage or steak, which is how we had it. (The pretty flowers on the top of it are just broken up flowers from chives–they really made it beautiful. They’re not in the recipe since they’re purely decorative, but if you have some chive growing, pinch off a flower head and do this.)

Shaved Fennel and Radish Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 large bulb of fennel; fronds reserved

1 bunch of radishes

3 stalks of celery; fibrous exterior peeled

1 handful of roasted hazelnuts; halved

salt and a few pink peppercorns

lemon vinaigrette (recipe below)

In a large bowl, shave thinly the fennel, radishes, and celery using a sharp mandolin (see note). Add in enough lemon vinaigrette to coat and toss all with your hands. Taste and add salt and more vinaigrette, as needed.

Place in a serving bowl or platter and garnish with the hazelnuts, pink peppercorns and a few of the fennel fronds.

Note: This Japanese mandolin from Benriner is what you’ll find in every cook’s knife bag in fine dining restaurants around the world. They’re light, yet durable and at $20-$25 quite affordable.

Lemon Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1/2 small shallot, minced

big pinch of salt

small pinch of sugar

1/2 cup fresh olive oil

Add all to a sealable container and shake vigorously to emulsify. Taste and adjust. You want the lemon and salt to be fairly prominent.

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